Life and Love are rarely Rainbows and Butterflies
by MasterSqueakToy
Summary: After the war, Chouji can't help but feel a little insecure when he compares his progress to that of his peers. It isn't long until he realizes that Hinata shares his same dream: To make your clan proud. While dealing with a confusing mesh of feelings, will Chouji finally learn what it truly means to be an adult? Will he discover what "love" is? Or will his feelings go unheard?
1. Chapter 1: Problems

**CHAPTER ONE**  
><strong>PROBLEMS<strong>

For the sake of the clan, you have to be braver, smarter, stronger…and most of all, you have to be willing to kill. Chouji knew his clan-mates had their doubts about him. He had heard them whispering the moment he was sworn in as the 16th head. By shinobi standards, Chouji was already an adult the moment he turned 15 years old. Now, after the Fourth Great Ninja War had passed and everyone had a chance to settle back in their normal lives, Chouji realized his seventeenth birthday was swiftly approaching. Ninjas lived incredibly short lives and Chouji felt he hadn't done anything to really show for it. He wasn't a hero, a genius or popular. He didn't realize until now that the approach of his birthday was beginning to depress him.

The hefty brunette didn't know what time it was, but could see light beginning to peak in from the curtains, illuminating parts of his bedroom. Chouji continued to lay on his bed, knowing good and well he should be out training. Suddenly he heard a knock on his door, and already knew it was.

"I'm up, I'm up," Chouji said as he pushed himself out of bed. He could feel his stomach nagging him about neglecting to eat as well. He pulled open his curtains to let a bit more light into his room before approaching the door. Chouji opened the door surprised to see Ino Yamanaka. The blonde was a former member of Team 10 and one of his best friends.

"Ugh, Chouji what am I going to do with you," she immediately said as she gestured to the fact he was still in his pajamas. "The Jounin selections are coming up and the hokage's been very passive aggressive about certain someone's not showing up to check out the mission postings- are you even paying attention?"

Chouji hadn't even realized he was staring at her, until she flicked his face. He didn't know why he hadn't realized before…but Ino had the body of adult versus how she was when they were kids. He supposed he never noticed because she was always there.

"You're hopeless," she told him as she flicked her blonde locks of hair from her eye. "Shikamaru's waiting for us. Don't take too long getting dressed." With that, she turned and walked away from him. Chouji stood there for a moment as he thought back to his conversation with his father many years ago. Marriage wise…for someone like him, was it even possible?

Once he was dressed, he hurried out of his house to see both Shikamaru and Ino waiting for him. He didn't know what they were talking about, but the conversation immediately stopped the moment he was in sight.

"About time," Ino laughed.

"I guess we should go see what the hokage wants," Shikamaru suggested with a heavy sigh. "Sometimes being an adult can be a drag."

"Only sometimes," Ino smirked before turning to walk down the path leading out of the Akimichi Clan's lot. Shikamaru and Chouji followed behind. Being an adult…was it that troublesome? Being an adult could be fun if you were able to do adult-like things. He told himself not to think about it, but the image couldn't get out of his head. Would someone like him…be able to experience something like that? He glanced down at his stomach remembering Asuma-sensei's words about dieting. Every diet he started ended a week later. He didn't have the discipline for it, but he found himself motivated once more.

Even when they made it to the Hokage's mansion and were placed in front of the mission listings, he couldn't help but wonder how someone like him would make a move. His eyes trailed over to Ino as he watched her flirt and joke around with the other chuunin who were applying as team captain. Only successful team captains will be evaluated for the jounin promotion. If Chouji were jounin, he wondered if that would be enough to impress girls. The chatter suddenly stopped as Sasuke Uchiha approached.

After the war, Konoha wasn't exactly sure what to think of him. He wasn't permitted to take the Chuunin exams, and Naruto chose not to until Sasuke was allowed. Chouji heard rumors Sasuke was bound to instantly become a jounin as a result from the chuunin exams. He didn't even think that was possible. Although he was glad he didn't have to compete with Sasuke. He already managed to get through the Chuunin exams…somehow.

"Chouji, are you going to pick something?" Shikamaru asked, instantly bringing Chouji from his thoughts. "If you wait around, all the easy missions are going to be taken."

Chouji narrowed his brows and snapped, "Why do you think I'd want an easy—." Shikamaru cut him short by gesturing to the list. The majority of the remaining missions were A and S ranked. Chouji heavily sighed. He knew what his friend was right. If Chouji wanted a flawlessly successful mission, he'd need to pick something easier. He saw escort missions as well as ones about protecting the border, and even search and retrieve missions…but nothing he appealed to him. He didn't think he could be a team captain. The idea of handling that kind of responsibility didn't sit right with him. Without another word, he turned left. He heard Shikamaru calling out for him, but didn't bother stopping.

Outside the clouds were dark and heavy, Chouji assumed rain was approaching. He saw young ninjas scurry past, probably playing some kind of game. "Hey," he called out to one kid, causing him to stop. "What are you guys playing?"

"Oh, we're playing War, mister," the kid answered with a toothy grin, before gesturing to his friends. "I'm the toad sage, he's the last Uchiha and he's the mother of ninja!"

"I want to Madara!" the other kid barked. "Why do I have to be the girl!"

"Because you have the longest hair," the first kid smirked, "Besides Kaguya was really strong!"

"Did either of you hear of Chouji of the Akimichi clan?" Chouji suddenly asked.

"Did he do anything in the war?" the kid with the role of Sasuke spoke up.

"Oh yeah, he did all sorts of things. He fought against the white zetsus and helped push back Madara's forces," Chouji beamed, but the kids weren't impressed. That is until the first child rubbed the back of his neck and smiled up at the rounder ninja.

"Hey, it was nice talking to you, mister. I'm sure that Chouji guy is pretty cool, but we have to finish our game," he announced and then the three children ran off. Chouji could overhear one suggesting rounding up more players, but he knew none of them would pretend to be him. If anything, someone would be Kakashi Hatake or Sakura Haruno.

Maybe what he needed was to become a hero. He needed to do something…productive, but thinking of a solution was impossible on an empty stomach. Unfortunately Chouji could see how this was becoming a vicious cycle. He would present himself with a problem only to end up at some restaurant eating his sorrows away. This time, he got his Korean Bar-B-Que to go and didn't bother going home. He wanted to find somewhere he could be alone and think.

The Bar-B-Que smelled delicious as he walked through the streets of Konoha and the box felt warm. Where to go, he wasn't certain. He spotted Kiba walking with what looked like Genin, probably to go on their latest mission. All of the guys were probably going to meet up tonight to talk about their meetings. Lately they've been playing cards while drinking sake. What was he supposed to say? That he chickened out? A heavy groan broke from his lips.

"Chouji!" he suddenly heard Naruto call out from behind. He glanced back and saw the blonde hurrying toward him. Chouji was sure Naruto was going to talk about some kind of mission he had taken on, but noting that the male was wearing his red sage coat, reminded him that Naruto was in a different category than everyone. He was a sage and a new sannin. It was often a rare occasion he had to go on missions. Naruto was the one who saved the shinobi world.

"Oh, you already got Bar-B-Que?" Naruto asked, before lightly laughing, "I was going to see if you wanted ramen, but oh well."

"I'm good for ramen," Chouji blurted out, causing Naruto to stare for a moment before a wily sort of smile slipped onto his lips.

"Wow Chouji, if you say so," Naruto grinned.

Chouji half expected a "fat" comment to come out. He could already feel his blood beginning to boil, but it never came. Instead Naruto challenged him to a race to Ichiraku.

Naruto was fast…Chouji blamed it on the fact he was a sage, and wondered what life would be like if he had mastered something as amazing as that. Although he had his butterfly technique, Chouji wished he could do more. He wanted to do something worthwhile. He wanted to feel like an adult. The more he thought, the faster he ate until the next thing knew, he had already eaten his bar-b-que, as well as four bowls of ramen. When the fifth bowl arrived, he sat there staring at the dish, unable to eat another bite. He wasn't full, but he didn't have much of an appetite either.

Naruto noticed and slowly finished slurping his noodle before asking, "Is…everything ok?"

Chouji noticed that the owner of the shop was watching nervously as well. Quickly he offered a smile and said, "No, it's fine. I've just um…I've had a lot on my mind." He took a deep breath, as he mentally prepared himself for Naruto's answer. However, when he glanced over he saw the blonde went back to eating his ramen! Chouji wasn't exactly certain how he contorted his face, but it was enough to make Naruto furrow his brows when he glanced over.

"Are you feeling alright?" Naruto asked, oblivious to the mental torment Chouji had been going through. Could he really ask Naruto what he thought about the whole being "an adult" thing? This was the guy who set aside everything to save the entire shinobi war. He was fairly grown up, so he wouldn't have these sort of frustrations.

"I think I'm going to go train," Chouji announced.

"Do you need a spar partner?" Naruto asked.

From the smile on the blondes lips, Chouji knew Naruto was going to volunteer himself. Fighting a friend was already difficult for him; fighting a sage would be even harder.

"No thanks," Chouji told him as he paid for his ramen. "I already have someone," he lied, knowing he couldn't tell Naruto he was intimidated by him. There were a few people Chouji never wanted to fight: Naruto, Sasuke, Rock Lee and Shikamaru. He immediately left the ramen shop and started making his way to the training field, while passing through the village. He stopped briefly in front of the Yamanaka flower shop, knowing Ino wasn't there, but that didn't stop him from wishing she would walk through the front door. No, he had to stop…they were part of a team.

Before he could make it to the training grounds, he felt a rain drop plop down on the top of his head. He looked up and saw rain pour down from the heavens. He rushed to take cover underneath a small overhang near the bathrooms located right beside the training field. There he saw Hinata Hyuga watching the sky. He could only assume she was waiting for the rain to stop as well.

"So, I take it you didn't have a mission either?" Chouji spoke up, trying to make the silence not as awkward. She glanced over at him, and shook her head before looking down at her hands. Hinata was a very nice girl, but she always seemed so depressed. Chouji wasn't sure why. Seeing as she didn't answer, he continued, "Yeah, I chose not to be a team captain. I wanted to brush up on my skills before taking on that kind of responsibility." Geez, how did he sound now? The war ended not too long ago and here he was claiming to be _rusty_ on combat? Technically he was…Chouji wasn't sure how it happened, but he managed to waste so many days in a row doing nothing but eating. The days were beginning to blend together.

"I feel the same way," Hinata confessed. "Only, I want to be much stronger. I have fallen so far behind…"

"Tell me about it!" Chouji laughed, causing a whimper to break from her lips. His eyes widened when he realized she was crying. "I didn't mean it like that!" he quickly said as he moved to her side. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Everyone made a difference during the war…everyone, and what did I do? Neji-Niisan gave his life and all I could do is catch up to a skill that he already mastered when we were children," she cried. "I want to…do so much better. And…and I tried so hard. Every time I tried to help Naruto-kun, I fell short. No wonder I'm an embarrassment to my clan-."

Chouji suddenly grabbed her by both of her shoulders so she had to look directly at him.

"Hinata, don't say that!" he commanded, leaving her speechless. "You are from the Hyuga clan, which is one of the strongest clans in the entire village. You've mastered the byakugan, you're smart, you're very pretty and you're the nicest girl I know. So don't you dare put yourself down! Me on the other hand…" His voice trailed off as his grip loosened. His eyes shifted from her. "I'm a coward…I heard you stood before Pein…you stood before Madara and Obito…you did whatever you could even when death stared you in the face…"

"But Chouji-san, you stood before Obito as well," she began, but he soon interrupted.

"After putting my teammates in danger!"

His eyes burned as tears streamed down his cheeks. He couldn't stop crying as he thought back to the incidents of the war. Even when everyone joined forces toward the end, he felt that without Naruto's chakra he wouldn't have survived. Shikamaru and Ino worked hard to unite everyone despite the deaths of their fathers, and what did he do?

Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder, so he wiped away his tears and looked over to see Hinata offering the saddest expression he had ever seen.

"Chouji-san…I can't tell you how to feel…I cannot control your feelings, but I do know that you are kind," she slowly began. "But it is apparent that both of us want to be much stronger than we are today…so maybe we can help each other to achieve our goals?"

"Are you sure?" Chouji asked. Although he knew that Hinata wasn't the type to make fun of him, he couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Kiba found out.

"Mmhmm," Hinata answered with a nod, drawing him from his thoughts.

Chouji fell silent, which caused Hinata to frown as she slowly drew back her hand. Then that's when the brunette suddenly smiled. "Then let's make this our secret," he suggested, "And we'll surprise everyone."

She smiled brightly at him and he found himself smiling even harder than before. Then that's when Hinata looked toward the sky once more. "Ah, it seems to have stopped raining."

"Would you like to spar with me, Hinata?" Chouji nervously asked.

She blinked for a moment, but then smiled and nodded her head. Chouji felt happy for several reasons, his biggest was that for a moment he didn't feel like a failure of a man. He didn't find himself obsessing over wanting to be like Shikamaru or be with Ino. During that moment, Chouji felt like a shinobi who was ready to become a better him.

He never realized it before, but Hinata was very kind. She was nicer than any other girl he knew. She didn't make fun of him, nor was she put off by him asking to train with her.

"Wait Hinata," Chouji called out, causing the girl to look back. "What exactly is your goal? I mean, I know we both want to be stronger for our clans, but is there anything else?"

She thought for a moment, and then a smile of endearment crept onto her lips as a rosy hue slipped onto her pale cheeks. "I want to be strong enough to walk beside him. I want to be a pillar for his dream."

He couldn't explain it…but at that moment…while describing her dream she never looked more beautiful. He had always found Ino very attractive, but there was something about Hinata he couldn't quite place. Only, Chouji knew that there was no way Hinata was talking about him.

"I'm hoping for love too," he admitted. "One day at least, haha."

"I'm sure you will, Chouji-San," Hinata smiled.

The words "thank you" were not enough to express his gratitude. Although he always heard that one day he would find love…for some reason when Hinata said it, he believed her.

* * *

><p><strong>From the Author. <strong>

Thank you for reading this chapter! It's experimental nonetheless, but more chapters to come! Oh, and if you're a fan of my writing, please check out my (now-published) book's page "Gifted Chains" on facebook. I'm currently working on the second. Bye bye!


	2. Chapter 2: More Mistakes

**Chapter Two**  
><strong>More Mistakes<strong>

Chouji stood on the battlefield opposite of Hinata. The grass was damp as mud puddles covered the earth, even the air revealed signs that the rain may return. Then that's when Chouji realized what he was doing…he was looking for an excuse to get out of the fight. Hinata timidly extended her arm and took a stance he had often seen Neji begin his fights. Not only was Hinata his friend (then again, anyone who didn't call him _fat ass_ was a friend), but also a girl. He couldn't fight her. He parted his lips to cancel their match, but he couldn't help but think back to their goals. They wanted to be stronger. There was no guarantee that the greatest threat against humanity would always be a man. Kaguya technically was the mother of all shinobi and Team 7 had to battle against her.

' I'll do it,' he mentally concluded and shouted, "GO!" Immediately he jumped in the air, initiating his "Human Bullet Tank" technique. He zoomed toward the girl, but at the last minute, he cancelled the jutsu. What he hadn't expected was to be hit directly by Hinata's gentle fist. A pulse of chakra struck him dead center, knocking him right off his feet. It was only after he hit the ground, that he realized he felt strange. She shut off parts of his chakra network.

"Chouji-san!" Hinata cried out as she rushed to him. "I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"  
>"Yeah," he winced as he pushed himself up. "No, it's alright. I guess I spaced out, heh."<p>

She continued to frown, so he managed to offer a light laugh, "I guess you're pretty strong already."

"You were going easy on me, Chouji-San…" Hinata whispered and stood to her feet as well. She then smiled the saddest smile Chouji had ever seen, and continued, "One day I hope to be strong enough…that you won't be afraid of hurting me."

"Hinata, I-."

She didn't listen and walked away leaving Chouji alone at the training field.

He laid on the ground staring up at the sky. Although his body didn't feel numb anymore, he didn't want to stand yet. Chouji laid there trying to reflect the previous moments, and why it often turned out like this. Why was Hinata so offended that he didn't want to fight her?

"Chouji, I thought I'd find you here," Shikamaru voiced as he walked over. He tilted his head and looked down at his squad-mate, but Chouji didn't want to look him in the eye. A heavy sigh broke from his lips as he wondered why he didn't just fight Hinata. Why didn't he give her his all? Why was it so hard to fight a friend? Or was it really because she was a girl?

"So…what are you doing?" Shikamaru hesitantly asked.

"I was…training," Chouji awkwardly chuckled, before continuing, "How can you bring yourself to fight a girl?"

"I don't," Shikamaru told him. "Don't you remember the chunins? It's about being smart. There are more ways to win a battle than overwhelming your opponent with brute strength." The dark haired male reached out his hand to help his chubby friend.

Chouji stood to his feet and dusted himself off, but could do nothing for the various mud stains.

"So which girl are you having to fight?" Shika suddenly asked, causing Chouji to immediately look over in his direction unsure if he should mention his deal with Hinata or not. Voicing their plan to one person takes away the guarantee that Kiba would never find out.

"Uh…well, with the whole Kaguya situation…I don't know, I guess you never know, heh."

Shikamaru looked at him rather suspiciously, but didn't press the issue any further. Instead he voiced, "Oh yeah, tonight everyone's getting together for a party. "

"At who's house?" Chouji found himself asking, but Shikamaru lightly laughed as he shook his head.

"Nah Chouj', this isn't a little house party. This is a celebration!" his friend exclaimed. This was probably the most excited Chouji had ever seen Shikamaru. After all, the ninja was usually lazy and relaxed. Plus, Chouji found it impressive how well he handled the death of his father. Shika was truly admirable. "You know, the village is finally able to settle down, we fought against the greatest threats against the entire shinobi nation- so there's going to be this big celebration in town square."

"Will there be food?" Chouji asked.

"Yeah, plenty," Shikamaru answered, "The villagers are preparing all of this. We're war heroes now." Even though Shika was smiling as broadly as he was, Chouji didn't feel like a hero. He forced a smile as he listened to his friend continue to talk about the celebration and the various things to expect. There would be music and dancing. "And you might meet someone nice," Shikamaru added.

This wasn't the first time Shika had tried to boost his confidence. He often talked about how girls were secretly attracted to bigger guys, and now that surviving the war would offer even more appeal. He wanted to bring up that Hinata believed he would find love too, but stopped when he remembered how he hurt feelings. He needed to apologize to her, at least so he wouldn't burn any bridges. She was the only one who understood what it felt like to be a failure in your father's eyes.

"I should get ready," Chouji told Shikamaru and hurried off, leaving his friend looking rather puzzled.

Chouji moved quickly down the path as he wondered exactly where he would find Hinata, while piecing together an apology in his mind. _'Hinata, I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I do want to train with you. No…or; Hinata, I don't usually have friends who are girls…so I'm sorry if I came off weird.' _ Nothing he thought of made an ounce of sense.

"I can't do this," he said to himself as he slowed his pace to a stop. He didn't know what to say to make the situation more awkward, but the idea of having someone angry with him left a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. He took a deep breath and forced himself to walk over to the other end of Konoha, where the Hyugas reside.

Chouji stood before the large archway wondering if it would be able to enter without an invitation. Hesitantly he took a single step onto the property and then another, until he walked fully through the archway. He knew nothing about where Hinata's house was located within the miniature-sized community.

"Can I help you?"

Chouji looked to see a Hyuga male jounin. Although there was no reason to think the stranger had ill thoughts of him, Chouji immediately feared the worse. Next thing he knew, his words spilled out of his mouth like vomit.

"I was just coming by to make sure everyone knew about the festival tonight, but if you already knew then that's cool, and if not then that's cool too. Well, hope to see all of you there, bye!"

Chouji didn't wait for the guy to answer and with a swift pivot, he quickly walked away. With every step he kicked himself in the teeth as he wondered why he couldn't do something as simple as apologize to her. Why couldn't he be brave for once? He didn't know for certain if Hinata considered him a friend, but he knew he didn't think poorly of her. They were part of the rookie 12, and that alone stood for something.

Chouji wondered what would have happened if he stopped right then and asked the man where Hinata had been, or if he could deliver a message for him. He wondered exactly which words he would use. He continued to ponder on the various possibilities until he was once more in the woods, further from the compound.

He closed his eyes and heavily sighed. "I'm sorry, Hinata," Chouji said, "I'll happily fight you." He heard what sounded like a gasp. When he opened his eyes he saw Hinata's little sister, Hanabi. She was carrying a basket of flowers. _'Oh crap, how much did she hear?' _ he thought to himself in a panic.

"What did you do to my Onee-sama?" Hanabi asked rather seriously.

_'So cold…why is she so cold? God, she reminds me of Neji,'_ Chouji immediately thought.

"You didn't answer," Hanabi voiced.

"Oh! Uh, it was just a misunderstanding," he hesitantly answered. "I just wanted to let her know I think she's um…she's strong enough to be my opponent."

"Of course she's strong enough," Hanabi countered. "She's of the noble Hyuga clan."

"Right. No, you're completely right," Chouji awkwardly laughed, although he felt weird not defending his own clan.

"Onee-sama doesn't need to hang out with someone like you."

Chouji blinked unsure of where that came from.

"You lack confidence," she stated, "Onee-sama has enough problems. She doesn't need you adding to them." There was a slight hint of sadness in Hanabi's voice this time, but Chouji didn't question it. Instead, he nodded his head and quietly said, "I'm sorry," before hurrying past the shorter brunette. What was he thinking? How could someone like him help anyone else accomplish their goals when he couldn't accomplish his own? He couldn't even defend himself against Hanabi Hyuga.

He then stopped walking and turned around to see the younger girl continuing toward the compound. Chouji then called out, "Hey!" Hanabi stopped and glanced back to him. Chouji took a deep breath and continued, "There's a celebration tonight. I think it would be cool if I saw both you and Hinata there tonight. After all, we all hold the will of fire, right?"

She was quiet for a moment but then replied, "We already heard about the celebration. I don't know if Onee-sama is attending, but I guess…I can tell her you stopped by. Who are you anyway?"

Chouji paused for a moment, unsure if he should be surprised that she didn't know who he was. That is, until he looked at the situation differently. This was his moment to start over. Boldly he smiled and said, "I'm Chouji Akimichi, soon to be the sixteenth head of the Akimichi clan!"

"And I am Hanabi Hyuga, the next heir of the Hyuga clan," she added with a tiny smile and continued toward her home. Chouji furrowed his brows as he wondered if what she said was true. If she were the next heir of the Hyuga clan, then what would happen to Hinata?

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note:<strong> Chapter 3 will be out next week! Please review.


	3. Chapter 3: A Festival for Heroes

**CHAPTER TREE**  
><strong>A FESTIVAL FOR HEROES<strong>

The celebration was all Shikamaru had said and more. The party itself took place outside near the heart of the town, and there was a multitude of people mingling with one another. Some were ninjas, some weren't. He saw plenty of tables of food set up in a buffet manner, with plates available to take without any question. Chouji would be lying if he said he didn't feel overwhelmed. Whenever someone bumped past him, he mumbled a quick _sorry_ with a tiny smile, but he was too nervous to engage in any sort of conversation. "Are you just going to stand there?" Ino suddenly asked, causing Chouji to jump a little. Like always, Ino was stunning.

_Do you want to dance?_

The question played out so easily in mind, and yet when it came to voicing it, his tongue was tied in knots. Then Ino started glancing around at the various girls. She pointed out a blonde with large glasses. The only reason Chouji knew her name was Shiho was because Shikamaru had talked about the girl's crush on him a few times in the past.

"Why don't you go talk to her?" Ino suggested.

"Wait, what? No," Chouji answered. He didn't know her at all. Plus from what he heard she was a little odd, but then again the same could be said about him, couldn't it? He wondered what girls saw when they saw him. He parted his lips, but stopped when he remember he was talking to Ino. Although he adored her and often wondered what it would be like to date her, he knew she was attracted to a certain type of guy. She often like the dark and mysterious type. She liked the type of guys who had an aura of cool about them. He needed to ask someone who had a more honest opinion.

"C'mon Chouji, she should be easy," Ino told him as she wrapped her arm around his shoulder. He could feel her chest against his arm. He couldn't think straight, nor could he comprehend what else she was saying. All he knew was that she suddenly pushed into the open dance floor in the direction of Shiho. As he walked to the blonde, he tried to run his "opening" through his mind. Would he need a pick up line? She looked as nervous as he felt.

"H-Hi," he stammered, but she didn't hear him. So he said a little louder, "Hello, Shiho." She looked over this time and offered a rather puzzled expression.

"Who are you?" she asked.

He hadn't expected that question.

"Chouji Akimichi," he answered.

"Who?" she asked once more.

"I'm sorry for bothering you," he voiced with a smile, and then walked away from her. He didn't walk back to Ino, but deeper into the crowd until he saw himself on the walking bridge above the river. He folded his arms over the railing and stared down at the water as it reflected the moon off of its rippling gentle waves. "I could've said I was a war hero," he mumbled quietly to himself. It was then out of the corner of his eye he saw Hinata walking. She was walking away from the party instead of toward it.

"Hinata," he spoke up, causing her to stop. She glanced over at him. If it weren't for the poor lighting he would be able to properly read her expression. He didn't know what was going through her head, but it took five seconds for her to answer, "Good evening, Chouji-san."

"Why aren't you going to the party?" he then asked only to see the girl look down at her feet.

"I don't think…that I'm suited for parties," she quietly stated.

"What about Naruto, I'm sure he would want to see you," Chouji added, which caused her to hug herself. Feeling concerned he quickly moved over to her. She dropped to her knees and doubled over while hugging herself. Tears dripped from her eyes as she silently cried. "Hinata, what's wrong?" he asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder. The dark haired girl looked up at him. She appeared so helpless.

"Why doesn't he see me?" she asked. Her voice quivered slightly, but she fought to control it. "Why doesn't Naruto-kun notice me?" She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and whispered, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't complain."

Chouji stood to his feet and clenched his fists at his side. "No, don't apologize. Complaining is good."

She furrowed her brows, confused as to what he meant by that.

"Complaining means that you know you're unhappy about something, and you want it to change! It means that you refuse to think whatever is happening is far from acceptable, and Hinata, if Naruto won't recognize you, then that's his problem!" Chouji announced. He held out his hand to Hinata, which she hesitantly took. After he helped her to her feet, he stared her in the eye. "Hinata, I'm sorry I couldn't spar with you. I may not be the best at helping people become physical strong, but I do want to help you with this."

"There's nothing that can be done," she mumbled.

"I could talk to Naruto for you!" he suggested, raising his tone a bit.

"Naruto-kun likes Sakura...and when I arrived at the party…he had convinced her to dance…they were laughing and seemed so happy and joyous." The more she talked, the more tears welled in her eyes, spilling out of the corners, staining her cheeks. "I wish it were me."

"What if I help you," Chouji suggested. When Hinata furrowed her brows, he continued. "We're going to go back to that party, and you're going to have fun!"

"But Chouji, I-."

"Because unlike me, Hinata, you have a chance at being happy," Chouji continued through a forced smile. "You're kind, attractive and stronger than people give you credit for. Me? I…I'm none of those things. So someone like you shouldn't leave a party because Naruto is too dense to see how truly special you are."

She nodded and glanced back toward the village. A tiny smile slipped onto her lips before she said, "Thank you, Chouji-san."

He nodded and started to walk ahead, but stopped when he felt Hinata tug lightly on the back of his sleeve. "But Chouji-san, before we go, you have to promise you'll enjoy the party too…because…I believe you can be happy too."

"I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I'm not the type of guy who _gets the girl_. I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" she asked.

"For complaining, but I can't help it," he continued. "I'm overweight, a coward and I'm not even fit to be the head of my clan. That festival is for war heroes! I'm sorry."

"No, complaining is good," she told him as she walked so that she was by his side. "Didn't you say, complaining means that you know you're unhappy about something, and you want it to change? I think you have the power to change what makes you unhappy, Chouji-san."

Chouji looked down at his round stomach before glancing once more at the dark haired girl. After what happened earlier, he thought she would never want to talk to him again, and yet she proved him wrong. Hinata truly didn't hold grudges, did she? As they walked back to the village, Hinata suddenly asked, "Do you like someone, Chouji-san?"

"I…don't know," he answered with a light chuckle. Ino was cute, but he wasn't sure if he could picture himself in a relationship with her. She was intense, flirty and shallow. He adored her as a teammate, but he wasn't sure if it could work between them. She also often commented on how disgusting his size had become. She was brutally honest. "I guess I just want someone who doesn't mind if I'm…well…_fat_." The word "fat" was difficult for him to say. It brought up memories of whenever he was called fat-ass as a child.

"Isn't your size part of your strength?" Hinata asked.

"Well…technically," he answered.

"Then you shouldn't feel bad about it," she smiled. "When I was younger, I felt bad about my eyes…until I realized they were part of my strength."

They could hear the sounds of the festival booming around them, and then fireworks shot into the sky. At first Hinata was startled, but then she smiled toward the beauty of falling lights. Chouji couldn't help but smile as well, glad that he didn't leave the celebration either.

"Hinata!"

"Kiba-kun?" Hinata questioned as her teammate rushed over to the two.

"Where did you go? Naruto says he'll dance with you. Sakura ran off with Ino for something."

Hinata nervously smiled as her face turned bright red. "He said…he'll dance with…me?" she questioned. When Kiba nodded, the girl stumbled back before collapsing. Chouji and Kiba quickly stooped down to where she lied on the ground.

"Geez, this isn't good," Kiba growled.

"Did you say you saw where Sakura went?" Chouji asked. When Kiba nodded, Chouji continued, "I'll move Hinata to one of those benches, so she's not on the ground. You go find Sakura in case this is a medical emergency."

"Fine," Kiba answered, "But if anything happens to Hinata, I swear to God, I'll make you regret it." The dog-nin hurried off into the crowd. Chouji carefully scooped Hinata up into his arms and started walking her over to the benches alongside the stone wall. He didn't see any blood. She had simply fainted. He laid her out on the bench and stood watch as he waited for Kiba to return. Once more he glanced over at Hinata. In a way he envied Naruto. It must be nice to have someone who would go to the ends of the earth for you. He wondered if he would ever experience a love like that.

"Naruto-kun," she whispered as her eyes slowly parted open.

"Oh, no, it's actually just me, Hinata," Chouji awkwardly laughed. Even when Naruto was oblivious of her feelings and flirted with other girls, she was faithful. Why? He watched her sit up and look around at her surroundings before feeling her head where it hit the ground.

Kiba rushed over with Sakura, and even though the pink haired girl had danced with her crush, Hinata smiled brightly to her. Chouji couldn't understand this. Sakura moved to inspect the back of her head before giving her the OK.

"You should be more careful," Sakura told her with a light smile, and Hinata nodded as a response.

Kiba noticed the way Chouji was watching the Hyuga and sharply elbowed him.

"Ow, what was that for?" Chouji half-whined.

"Don't get any funny ideas," Kiba lowly warned him.

"I'm not," Chouji said, "Besides, why would I? I barely know Hinata."

"I'm just warning you," Kiba voiced as he looked back at the two girls. Sakura and Hinata walked over to where Kiba and Chouji stood. Immediately Hinata bowed to both of them and said, "I'm sorry for making you worry! Please forgive me."

Kiba reached out a hand and ruffled her hair. "It's all good. Now let's go eat."

"Is that all you needed?" Sakura asked. When Kiba nodded, she gave them a wave and a quick goodbye before dashing off once more. The three walked back to the festival to see Naruto calling out his typical, "Sakura-Chan!"

Hinata watched with a light smile, but didn't say anything. Chouji saw this and found himself calling out, "HEY NARUTO!" The blonde glanced over with a puzzled expression. "Come here!" Chouji yelled, causing the blonde to hurry over to their little group. Kiba was seething with anger, but Chouji was determined to handle the situation. Then in one motion he gestured to Hinata. "This girl would like to dance with you."

"Ok," Naruto said in his usual carefree manner. "Come on, Hinata." He took her hand, and as if on cue the girl blushed heavily. He then took her out on the dance floor. Chouji thought he would feel like a hero, but at that moment, he felt as if he was far from it.

"Do you drink?" Kiba then asked.  
>"Wait, what?" Chouji questioned, not sure if he understood.<p>

"Don't make me repeat myself," the dog nin sharply stated before gesturing over to one of the booths. "They're giving away glasses of sake for us war heroes. You look like you could use a drink."

Maybe…a drink wasn't the best option, because the next thing Chouji knew he had more than he could count. The world was spinning and his head felt heavy. He didn't know where Kiba went, but for some reason he was once more in the crowd near the dance floor. Hinata was no longer dancing with Naruto. He wasn't sure where the two went. He did spot Ino and Sakura. He stumbled to the two.

"Chouji?" Sakura questioned.  
>"Ino…can I kiss you?" he then asked.<p>

"Hell no," Ino snapped as she took a step back. "Chouji, you're my friend, and I would like it to stay that way."

"Plus, she's dating someone," Sakura added as she crossed her arms over her chest.

The words weren't making sense to him. All he knew was that he wanted the kind of love that Hinata was giving to Naruto. He wanted Ino to see him as more than his appearance. She was already beautiful, but the alcohol magnified that. He wanted her in ways that he only thought were possible in his dreams.

"Please," Chouji begged. "Please let me kiss you!"

"Chouji, _no_," Ino repeated this time more stern.

He grabbed her arm, and then everything went black. All he knew was that his head was throbbing. It was throbbing as loudly as his heart pounding against his chest. Chouji was officially the king of mistakes.

When he awoke he saw a bright light and felt something cold press against his forehead. Then he saw Hinata. "Chouji-san, thank goodness," she said. He forced himself to sit up, but the speed made him feel even sicker. He stumbled off the makeshift bed and threw up in a trashcan (thankful there had been). He couldn't stop throwing up as everything in his stomach flooded out of him. Hinata remained seated on the bed, not looking in his direction.

It was only after he was finished, he wiped his mouth and looked back at her.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Ino and Sakura punched you," she quietly said. "You drank too much…and apparently said weird things. I wasn't there…but that's what everyone told me. Kiba felt bad and brought you here, and I followed."

"What about Ino…what happened to her?" Chouji asked.

"She was talking to Shikamaru-san, but I don't know more than that…" she wrinkled her brows once more. The expression she gave him was rather pitiful. Chouji felt uneasy about looking at her. "Are you going to be alright, Chouji-san? Kiba-kun said that he didn't mind walking you home if you needed him to."

"I think…I just want to lay down," he said as he walked back over to the bed.

"I don't know if you would be able to stay here though," Hinata brought up. "This is technically the weapons shop…but maybe Naruto-kun doesn't mind if you stay at his house? He lives nearby."

Staying with Naruto wouldn't be a bad idea, then at least he could ask him his secret. How was it that he was so likeable and popular with girls? Was it because he was the hero of the leaf who saved everyone from Pein and then Madara? There was no way he could compete with that.

"I can walk home," he commented.

"But Chouji-san…"

"It's ok, Hinata, I don't feel as sick anymore," Chouji lied. He felt as though he would throw up at any second, and walking was incredibly difficult. With every step his legs threatened to give out beneath him. He stumbled and Hinata sprung up from the bed to help support him.

"Chouji-san, I don't think it's wise for you to go alone," she voiced once more. "I'll ask Kiba-kun to help you."

"No!" Chouji snapped, startling the girl. He stumbled away from her, tripping over his feet and crashed to the floor. When Hinata moved to him, he shooed her away. "I can do this. I don't…I don't need everyone to always help me," he voiced. His words were slurred from how intoxicated. He felt even sicker as the room spun faster and faster. "I'm…I'm always the one who needs help…I…I can do this. I don't want…to burden anyone else."

"But Chouji-san, you're not burdening anyone!" Hinata said raising her voice.

It was weird…because Chouji had never heard her yell, but this time she had his attention.

"Kiba-kun and I want to help you because you're our friend!" she cried as tears poured out of her eyes, her hands held protectively to her chest. "Please, Chouji-san, Shikamaru-san is also worried! Please let us help you. It doesn't make you weak to ask for help…"

He stared at the girl, unsure of why she was crying…was she really crying for him? Slowly he nodded his head, but then had to quickly retreat once more to the trash can to release more of his stomach contents.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note: <strong>I hope you're enjoying this story so far! Please review! More chapters to come.


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